iTunes expected to go full-screen, 64-bit

(Updated for iWork, iTunes, Safari releases) Apple is preparing several important software updates that should arrive in the near future, Software Update images from AppleInsider indicate. Perhaps the most significant of these is iTunes 10.4, which is said to be designed for Lion, for instance incorporating an iLife-style fullscreen mode which supports app switching using gestures. The program is also being made a native 64-bit Cocoa title, and cleaned up with a variety of stability and performance tweaks. iTunes is one of the few flagship Apple titles still operating with 32-bit code.

Next in line is iWork 9.1, an update to the suite which encompasses Pages, Numbers and Keynote. Like iTunes, the iWork apps are gaining fullscreen modes; additionally though they are getting support for other key Lion features, namely Resume, Auto Save and Versions.

In development for Snow Leopard, and likely Windows, is a release of Safari 5.1 The browser is presently Lion-only, and supports features like multi-threaded processing, gesture navigation and a fullscreen mode. A Reader mode cuts out distractions like ads, and the Reading List saves articles for later.

When the finished updates might be made public is unknown, but pre-release code is being distributed now.

Update: iWork 9.1 is now already available through the Mac App Store, Software Update or a standalone installer. Beyond changes already mentioned, the suite also includes support for Lion's character picker, and improved Microsoft Office compatibility. Keynote 5.1 has been given two new builds, Anvil and Fall Apart.

Safari 5.1 and iTunes 10.4 have also been released. In both cases, Mac and Windows versions are available.

by MacNN Staff